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Aug 19, 2008
SECOND term has folded and it is holiday time. It was a term loaded with both co-curricular and academic activities. Holiday time now provides you a unique opportunity to not only bond with your children but also help them prepare for the third term. Some schools have provided holiday work, while ot
PARENTING - Jamesa Wagwau
SECOND term has folded and it is holiday time. It was a term loaded with both co-curricular and academic activities. Holiday time now provides you a unique opportunity to not only bond with your children but also help them prepare for the third term. Some schools have provided holiday work, while others are arranging to have children sit for beginning of term exams.
Your child needs help with preparations for third term; whether they have holiday assignments or not. The child’s performance in the end of term exams provides a good starting point.
Did you know that most of the children who perform below expectation do so because they lack examination skills and not necessarily because they are dull? Passing exams is not just about revising notes. It also takes specific examination skills.
The equation is ‘Knowledge of the subject matter plus effective examination skills equals success. Exam skill is a cardinal learning tool that every child needs to master from their earliest years.
Third term is a critical period that determines whether your child will be promoted to the next class or not. As your children enjoy the holidays, you can help them acquire essential revision skills necessary to face the third term.
It is difficult for children to revise piles of work and many topics in a given subject. Help the child to break the topics in each subject into small manageable tasks. The amount of tasks or topics to be revised per day depends on the child’s age and class. The younger the child, the smaller the tasks. This arrangement instills a sense of planning and helps your child to be more organised and disciplined with their work.
Help your child to draw up a revision timetable. Resist the temptation of drawing the timetable for the child. It is advisable for the child to write the draft that you can then help improve. Children have reasons for everything they do, however crazy or childish the reason might appear to an adult. Before you change a child’s work, find out why it was done like that. The discipline of following a study timetable will help the child to resist the temptation of spending more time in the subjects they enjoy than the subjects they find difficult.
Remember the holiday is for rest and your child has a right to relax. Prepare a less burdensome schedule that allows the child room to play. To a normal child, playing is learning.
Show the child that the best way for a child to internalise what has been studied is to revise throughout the term; not in the last minute. Last minute revision pushes children to cram and panic in the exam room. A child who revises throughout the term also has an opportunity to seek help with topics she has not understood. Early revision helps children to acquire planning and task management skills early.
Give compliments or constructive criticism where necessary to motivate the child. Instead of saying, ‘You aren’t expecting me to look at that scrap, are you?’ say: ‘Your work will look better if you presented it in your best handwriting.’
Go through the work and discuss how certain questions should be approached. What makes your child fail to get certain questions right? Is it failure to follow instructions; failing to understand key words; time management or wrong questions approach?
Effective revision takes self-discipline. Eliminate external distractions like television, music, or excessive noise. Watch out for signs of boredom or frustration. Younger children cannot concentrate on one task for long. Change the activity in case the child is bored or tired. Remember, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. A balanced child must play.
SECOND term has folded and it is holiday time. It was a term loaded with both co-curricular and academic activities. Holiday time now provides you a unique opportunity to not only bond with your children but also help them prepare for the third term. Some schools have provided holiday work, while others are arranging to have children sit for beginning of term exams.
Your child needs help with preparations for third term; whether they have holiday assignments or not. The child’s performance in the end of term exams provides a good starting point.
Did you know that most of the children who perform below expectation do so because they lack examination skills and not necessarily because they are dull? Passing exams is not just about revising notes. It also takes specific examination skills.
The equation is ‘Knowledge of the subject matter plus effective examination skills equals success. Exam skill is a cardinal learning tool that every child needs to master from their earliest years.
Third term is a critical period that determines whether your child will be promoted to the next class or not. As your children enjoy the holidays, you can help them acquire essential revision skills necessary to face the third term.
Remember the holiday is for rest and your child has a right to relax. Prepare a less burdensome schedule that allows the child room to play. To a normal child, playing is learning.
Effective revision takes self-discipline. Eliminate external distractions like television, music, or excessive noise. Watch out for signs of boredom or frustration. Younger children cannot concentrate on one task for long. Change the activity in case the child is bored or tired. Remember, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. A balanced child must play.